If I Only Kept 13 Casual Items in My Closet, It Would Be These Versatile Pieces

I recently did a deep dive through my closet in an effort to clean out pieces I'm just not wearing anymore. (P.S., the "flip the hanger" trick works wonders.) As I cleared out items to donate later, I ended up mentally noting the key items I truly rely on. You know, those pieces that would essentially make up my capsule wardrobe. And sure, I still have a range of remaining things in my wardrobe, but in reality, if I only kept 13 casual summer and transitional pieces, I know which would be the front-runners thanks to their versatile nature.

As you can probably guess, the clothing and shoes in question are all basics because they can seamlessly be mixed and matched with other simple items to create easy yet chic outfits. In case you're intrigued at what my curated wardrobe would look like, I mapped out my staples for you below with some pieces. I'm also showcasing outfit ideas that could be of interest that are essentially comprised of said items.

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Now, some outfit ideas…

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(Image credit: @smythsisters)

Half-tucking a crewneck sweatshirt into straight-leg jeans is effortless and modern with flat sandals.

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(Image credit: @itsmekellieb)

A white tee and denim cutoffs is classic—the blazer brings the vibe to the next level.

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(Image credit: @basicstouch)

The denim-on-denim look is more or less timeless at this point—whether that's a denim jacket and jeans or with a chambray shirt.

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(Image credit: @honeybelleworld)

I'm so into the idea of bringing polish to a cool sweatshort-and-tank vibe with the addition of a slouchy blazer.

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(Image credit: @_marisamartins_)

White button-down shirts are trending (and are also classic). A slouchy silhouette teamed with denim just works.

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(Image credit: @tylynnnguyen)

This look is incredibly chic with the tee, trousers, and flat sandals.

Next, check out more simple pieces worth adding to your wardrobe.

Market Director

Bobby Schuessler is a fashion editor with over a decade of editorial experience covering shopping, style, and beauty. He's spent over seven years at Who What Wear, currently leading the market team to deliver highly covetable and convertible content. He creates data-driven shopping guides featuring top retailers like Nordstrom, Shopbop, and Net-a-Porter and is at the forefront of Who What Wear's shopping tentpole strategies, including Amazon Prime Day. He also works on branded content initiatives and appears on camera in video and shopping livestream franchises. He has also worked across a variety of other media brands and fashion retailers like Refinery29, PureWow, Men's Health, and Gilt covering commerce, trend reporting, women's and men's fashion, home, and lifestyle.